Foot-rest attachment for closets



July 24, 1928.

- Z. W. GUNCKEL FOOT REST ATTACHMENT FOR CLOSETS Filed March 15 1928 gwucmtoz Eu n ck a].

Patented July 24, 1928.

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ZENAS W. GUNCKEL, OF GUTI-EEIE, OKLAHOMA.

FOOTREST ATTACHMENT FOR OLOSETS.

Application filed March 15, 1928 Serial No. 261,841.

The present invention relates to closet attachn'ients, and the primary ob ect of the 1nvention is to provide an improved foot rest attachment for closets for enabling small children to conveniently use the closet. A further object of the invention is to provide a footrest attachment for closets such as will render the closets sanitary from a hygienic standpoint, and allow for a person to assume a crouching position for. a complete and natural evacuation of the bowels. A further object of the invention is to provide improved foot rest equipment for closets which is of extremely simple construction, thus rendering the attachment desirable from a sanitary standpoint in that the same may be thoroughly sterilized when desirable.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a foot rest attachment which may be readily and easily placed and removed from the closet, and embodying adjustable means whereby the foot rod may be elevated to different positions above the floor surface. A still further and important object of the invention is to provide a simplified foot rest attachment for closets which is so detachably associated with the closet as to preventlikelihood of the foot rest tilting to any side.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional type of closet and showing the foot rest attachment as applied thereto,

-Figure 2 is a top plan view of the bowl or hopper and showing the manner in which the foot rest attachment is applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the bowl or hopper and showing the manner in which the suspension arms are connected with the rim of the bowl.

Figure -.l is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating the manner in which the suspension arms are adjustably connected with the foot rod.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, theletterA designates a closetcombination of conventional construction, and B the improved foot rest attachment with the usual rim 5.

for detachable connection with the closet bowl C. V

The closet bowl C is of conventional construction and is provided at its upper end A seat ring 6 and a cover 7 are hingedly connected at their rear ends to the closet bowl C at the back end of' the opening ,8 by a suitable hinge 9, and the under side of the seat ring 6 is provided with the usualrubber bumpers 10 which aside from serving as a protection for the rim 5, retain the seat ring in slightly spaced relation above the upper edge of the rnn. The bumpers 10 as in ordinary practice, are intended to, engage the upper side of the rim 5. 7 Referring now to the foot rest attachment B for detachable connection with the closet bowl C, the same embodies a rest bar 12 of substantially U-shape in formation, and

more truly of horse-shoe shape, forming an arcuate portion .13. and rearwardly extending arms 14. This foot bar 12 may either be of tubular or solid construction as shown, and has the arms 14larranged to converge slightly toward the rear of the foot bar as shown in Figure 2. Extending upwardly from the rear end of each of the arms 14; is an internally threadedsocket 15, while extending upwardly from the arms adjacent their juncture with the arcuate portion 18, are internally threaded sockets 16 and which sockets 16 may be termed the front sockets for'the' foot bar. These sockets 16 and 15 may be of any desired length to allow suflicient vertical adjustment of the foot bar. The rear or terminal socketsrlo may if so desired constitute the terminal portions of the arms 14 having been bent upwardly at substantially a right angle to the arms, while the sockets 16 may be secured to the foot bar such as by welding or the like.

Adapted for threaded connection at their lower ends within each of the terminal sockets 15, are rear suspension arms 18, and adapted for threaded connection at their lower ends with the sockets 16, are front suspension arms 20. These suspension arms 18 and 20 are provided with threaded lower ends as clearly shown in Figure 4, for threaded engagement with the internally threaded sockets of the foot bar, and this threaded connection of the suspension arms with the foot bar provides means whereby the bar is vertically adjustable to within given limits. The upper end of each of the suspension arms 18 and 20 is flattened and bent on the major cross section dimension of the flattened portion to provide substantially flat hanger portions or hooks 22 for engaging over the rim 5 beneath the seat ring 6. These substantially flat hook )OI- tions 22 will allow for the seat ring to move to its normal position upon the rim with the lower side of the ring preferably engaging the upper surface of the hook portions when a slight weight is brought on the seat ring for compressing the yieldable buttons 10.

hen the hook portions are engaged over the rim :3 it will be seen that the foot bar 12'is supported horizontally at an ele vation above the floor surface upon which the closest bowl is resting, and that the arcuate portion 13 of the foot bar encircles the forward portion of the closet bowl to provide a portion upon which the persons feet may be disposed at an elevation above the floor surface. By rotating the suspension arms 18 and 20 it will be seen that the arms will be threaded into their respective sockets and thus allow for the foot bar to be disposed at different elevations above the floor surface. It will of course-be understood that the hook portions 22 must be raised from the rim 5 when desiring to rotate the suspension arms for adjustment of the foot bar. The proper lengthening of the suspension arms may easily be accomplished by inverting the foot rest so that the hook portions 22 will all engage a flat surface and thus insure horizontal disposition of the foot bar when the hook portions are disposed over the rim 5. By so having the hook portions 22 provided with the downturned inner ends for engaging inwardly of the rim 5, the rest is prevented from becoming detached from the closet bowl and also allows for the foot bar to be sprung inwardly for attachment to closet bowls having openings of slightly different shape.

By so disposing the suspension arms as shown, so that the hook portion of the rear suspension arm 18 may engage beneath the seat ring 6 directly in front of the hinge 9, it will be seen that when a weight is brought on the arcuate portion 13 that there is little likelihood of the rear suspension arms 18 swinging the seat ring 6 upwardly and allowing the front arcuate portion of the foot bar to be moved downwardly. This liability of the foot rest tilting would in no instances occur were the person seated before placing the feet on the arcuate portion 1-3, but would have a tendency to tilt shouldthe person stand upon the arcuate portion before placing any weight on the seat ring. It will of course be apparent that a person when seated or standing in a crouching position may rest the feet at any location on the foot bar that may be found most comfortable.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a simple and efficient foot rest attaclnnent for closets has been provided which will be neat in appearance and embodying adjustable features, one which may be placed and removed with ease, and one which may be readily assoiiated with. various types of closet bowls without likelihood of the rest tilting or becoming detached from the bowl when a weight is applied to the foot bar of the rest.

Changes in detail may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a foot rest attachment for closet bowls, a foot bar of U-shape in formation, and suspension arms connected at their lower ends to the foot bar and having their upper ends adapted for detachable connection with the upper edge of the bowl.

2; In a foot rest attachment for closet bowls, a foot bar of U-shape in formation for extending across the front and each side of the bowl, and adjustable suspension arms for the foot bar and having hook portions formed at their upper ends for detachable connection with the upper edge of the bowl.

3. In a foot rest attachment for closet bowls, a U-shaped foot bar adapted to extend in spaced relation across the front and rcarwardly at each side of the bowl, and suspension arms for supporting the foot bar at an elevation above the floor surface, said bars having threaded lower ends for connection with the foot bar and having hooked portions at their upper ends for engaging over theupper edge of the bowl.

i. In a foot rest attachment for closet bowls, a U-shaped foot bar for extending in spaced relation across the front and rear wardly at each side ofthe bowl, threaded sockets carried by the foot bar and extending upwardly therefrom, and suspension arms for supporting the foot bar at an elevation above the floor surface having threaded lower ends for threaded engagement in the sockets and having hook portions formed at their upper ends for engaging over the upper edge ofthe bowl.

5. In a foot rest attachment for closet howls, a foot bar of U-shaped formation providing an arcuate portion for encircling the front of the bowl and arm portions to extend rearwardly at each side of the bowl,

screw threaded sockets extending upwardly from each end of the arm portions, and suspension arms for supporting the foot bar at an elevation above the floor surface, each having a threaded l0wer end for threaded engagement within the sockets and having hook-shaped portions formed at their upper ends for hooked engagement with the upper edge of thebowl at spaced points along each side of the bowl. e

6. In a foot rest attachment for closets, combinations including a bowl having a rim formed at its upper edge and, a seat ring hingedly connected at its rear edge to the rear portion of the bowl and overlying said rim, a foot rest attachment comprising a foot barof U-shape in formation, providing an arcuate portion to extend in spaced relation across the front of the bowl and arm portions extending rearwardly at each side of the bowl, rear socket members extendin upwardly at the rear end of each arm, i ront socket members extending upwardly from the foot bar adjacent the frontend of each arm, and a suspension arm adjustably conneoted to each of the front and rear socket members and each having its upper end flattened and shaped to form hook portions for extending across and inwardly of said rim, said suspension arms of the rear sockets to have their flattened hook portions extending beneath the seat ring at a location relatively near to the hinged connection with the bowl.

7. The combination with a closet bowl having a rim formed at'its upper end and a seat ring hingedly connected at its rear end to the bowl and extending in overlying relation to the rim, of a foot rest for detachable connection to the bowl comprising a foot bar or" U-shape in formation providing ZENAS W. GUNCKEL.

the rim. 

